keeping tools/devices dry (rice)

[rickman]

bruce2bowser@gmail.com wrote on 12/3/2017 8:29 AM:

Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:
On 12/01/2017 08:21 PM, default wrote:
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 11:02:26 -0800 (PST), bruce2...@gmail.com wrote:

Will putting a pouch of rice in a toolbox with devices stop rust?

(I remember this was recommended, but I don't remember where)

Doesn't answer your question maybe but I ran across an interesting
thought about tools and tool boxes. A machinist here had an old
wooden box he used for ages and always talked about getting a new one.
One Christmas his daughter got him a roll around metal Craftsman box
with all the bells and whistles.

He transferred the tools to the metal box and found they rusted at an
alarming rate. The consensus at the shop was that the wood boxes
would dry out when the weather was dry and absorb moisture when the
weather was humid - protecting the tools by ameliorating the swings in
humidity. But it's only a theory.

People put rice in salt shakers and swear by it.

Or possibly at it.

An oil rag in the tool box helps a lot. I generally give it a shot of
WD40 when I remember, and my tools don't rust.

I didn't know that. In a discussion, maybe someone knows of something even better than rice. I know sometimes these questions seem strange, though.

I think any desiccant is doomed to failure unless your toolbox is fairly
airtight. Yeah, it will reduce the ambient moisture level, but that only
slows the rusting, not prevent it.

I haven't tried it, but I'd bet Phil's idea of keeping an oil rag in the
toolbox so the tools keep a slight coat of grease works the best. Heck, I
bought a Chinese drill press which was covered by cosmoline. Obviously that
was to prevent rust and corrosion while being shipped and stored. I left it
on as it is parked in a not so dry basement... still no rust after 20 years.

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998

 

[default]

On Sun, 3 Dec 2017 05:29:14 -0800 (PST), bruce2bowser@gmail.com wrote:

Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:
On 12/01/2017 08:21 PM, default wrote:
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 11:02:26 -0800 (PST), bruce2...@gmail.com wrote:

Will putting a pouch of rice in a toolbox with devices stop rust?

(I remember this was recommended, but I don't remember where)

Doesn't answer your question maybe but I ran across an interesting
thought about tools and tool boxes. A machinist here had an old
wooden box he used for ages and always talked about getting a new one.
One Christmas his daughter got him a roll around metal Craftsman box
with all the bells and whistles.

He transferred the tools to the metal box and found they rusted at an
alarming rate. The consensus at the shop was that the wood boxes
would dry out when the weather was dry and absorb moisture when the
weather was humid - protecting the tools by ameliorating the swings in
humidity. But it's only a theory.

People put rice in salt shakers and swear by it.

Or possibly at it.

An oil rag in the tool box helps a lot. I generally give it a shot of
WD40 when I remember, and my tools don't rust.

I didn't know that. In a discussion, maybe someone knows of something even better than rice. I know sometimes these questions seem strange, though.

A small heater might work.

I've got this circuit board in my air conditioner. It had an
intermittent problem that occurred whenever it was humid. All winter
long it would work fine (heat pump) and die in the summer. Nothing I
tried on the board worked except taking it out (~30 wires) and
packing it in silica gel that I baked dry in my oven, and leaving that
in overnight. Then the AC worked fine for a few days...

I put a small heater under the circuit board. Dissipates 4-5 watts
and I can use the AC all summer long... I live on the east coast
close to the ocean moisture is a constant problem.

In laboratories they use drying cabinets to keep chemicals that are
hygroscopic. They have good seals (unlike a tool box). A small dish
of indicating desiccant is put in the bottoms of the cabinets. The
desiccant is blue when it is dry and red when it's wet and white when
it's in between. When it looses it's color some dry desiccant is put
in and the old stuff gets baked to dry it.

I did put rice in my salt shakers and it did seem to work, but not
100%, there were still some days that the salt caked.

At a resort down in St Kitts, they changed the salt shakers every
meal. SOP

 

[Phil Hobbs]

On 12/03/2017 08:29 AM, bruce2bowser@gmail.com wrote:

Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:
On 12/01/2017 08:21 PM, default wrote:
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 11:02:26 -0800 (PST), bruce2...@gmail.com
wrote:

Will putting a pouch of rice in a toolbox with devices stop
rust?

(I remember this was recommended, but I don't remember where)

Doesn't answer your question maybe but I ran across an
interesting thought about tools and tool boxes. A machinist here
had an old wooden box he used for ages and always talked about
getting a new one. One Christmas his daughter got him a roll
around metal Craftsman box with all the bells and whistles.

He transferred the tools to the metal box and found they rusted
at an alarming rate. The consensus at the shop was that the wood
boxes would dry out when the weather was dry and absorb moisture
when the weather was humid - protecting the tools by ameliorating
the swings in humidity. But it's only a theory.

People put rice in salt shakers and swear by it.

Or possibly at it.

An oil rag in the tool box helps a lot. I generally give it a shot
of WD40 when I remember, and my tools don't rust.

I didn't know that. In a discussion, maybe someone knows of
something even better than rice. I know sometimes these questions
seem strange, though.

I got the idea from the little piece of oiled paper that came in the
case of a the vernier micrometer that I used for doing valve shims on my
TR7 back in the palmy days.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
https://hobbs-eo.com

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2017-12-03, bruce2bowser@gmail.com <bruce2bowser@gmail.com> wrote:

Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:

I didn't know that. In a discussion, maybe someone knows of
something even better than rice. I know sometimes these questions seem
strange, though.

There's plenty of other dessicants available, rice is just something most people
have on-hand.

--
This email has not been checked by half-arsed antivirus software

 

Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:

On 12/03/2017 08:29 AM, bruce2bowser@gmail.com wrote:
Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamM...@electrooptical.net> wrote:
On 12/01/2017 08:21 PM, default wrote:
On Fri, 1 Dec 2017 11:02:26 -0800 (PST), bruce2...@gmail.com
wrote:

Will putting a pouch of rice in a toolbox with devices stop
rust?

(I remember this was recommended, but I don't remember where)

Doesn't answer your question maybe but I ran across an
interesting thought about tools and tool boxes. A machinist here
had an old wooden box he used for ages and always talked about
getting a new one. One Christmas his daughter got him a roll
around metal Craftsman box with all the bells and whistles.

He transferred the tools to the metal box and found they rusted
at an alarming rate. The consensus at the shop was that the wood
boxes would dry out when the weather was dry and absorb moisture
when the weather was humid - protecting the tools by ameliorating
the swings in humidity. But it's only a theory.

People put rice in salt shakers and swear by it.

Or possibly at it.

An oil rag in the tool box helps a lot. I generally give it a shot
of WD40 when I remember, and my tools don't rust.

I didn't know that. In a discussion, maybe someone knows of
something even better than rice. I know sometimes these questions
seem strange, though.

I got the idea from the little piece of oiled paper that came in the
case of a the vernier micrometer that I used for doing valve shims on my
TR7 back in the palmy days.

I haven't gone into the tool box in maybe two to three years (other than to get a hammer to break frozen food). So I guess evaporated oil from an oil rag or paper might help stop any rust. I wonder if I should ad a lit incandescent bulb to keep the box warm or not. I guess, forget adding packets of silica pebbles or rice would help, then.